That is the headline on one on-line story in the Nyasa Times about yesterday’s incident at the funeral for recently sacked health minister Prof. Moses Chirambo that is related to the continuing dispute over the education quota system. The Church of Central Africa Presbyterian Livingstonia Synod has for over six months now been voicing concern about the government’s quota system that, in the church’s opinion, restricts the number of students accepted to university from their region in the north.
Yesterday the issues arose again at the funeral for Moses Chirambo. Prof. Chirambo was a trained ophthalmologist who, up to a few days before his death, was serving as the country’s health minister. I will let the account of the funeral from the Malawi Voice tell the next part of the story:
After eulogies from various dignitaries that included Vice President Joyce Banda and speaker of national assembly Henry Chimunthu Banda, it was the turn of the Synod to take over the proceedings.
When the Synod’s General Secretary Rev. Levi Nyondo took to the podium, he openly criticised President Bingu wa Mutharika for firing Chirambo out of his cabinet last week.
The Reverend said Mutharika erred in firing the late Chirambo saying there was nobody matching his academic and profession reputation hence it made no sense to have him fired from the cabinet unceremoniously.
But Nyondo’s remarks did not go down well with the DPP youth director for Rumphi Christopher Mtambo [sic] who shouted on top of his voice telling the Reverend to take politics out of the proceedings.
Ntambo’s reprimand to the Reverend irked Moderator of the Synod Mezuwa Banda who stood and starts accusing the DPP of trying to intimidate the church telling Ntambo to shut up as time for the party to speak was gone.
This triggered the cacophony which took the DPP’s former member Harry Mkandawire and Themba la ma Themba Chikulamayembe to calm down. When the dust settled down, the ceremony proceeded.
Friday evening, following the funeral and interment, police arrested Livingstonia Synod Moderator Rev. Mezuwa Banda, Synod General-Secretary Rev. Levi Nyondo and his deputy Rev. Maurice Munthali. Mr. Banda and Mr. Munthali were released later Friday evening but General-Secretary Nyondo remains in custody. According to the Malawi Voice article:
Northern Region police spokesperson confirmed of the release of the two. “But we are still keeping Rev Nyondo because we have found out that he was the one who uttered most of the treasonous words at the funeral, but so we are still doing our investigations.”
While that is the only direct quote from a police spokesperson reported in the media, from the news reports the charge seems to simply be “treasonous words,” the closest to a specific comment the news sources identify seems to be the “hint” or “comment” that the Synod would support current Vice-President Joyce Banda in the 2014 Presidential elections.
According to another article from the Nyasa Times Mr. Nyondo was denied bail today. The article says
Magistrate Justus Kishindo rejected Nyondo’s bail application, saying he would “tamper with evidence”.
At last report that is where the judicial process stands although the article also reports that people are gathering outside the Court to protest the arrests and detention.
The second Nyasa Times article also reports on the response from Malawi’s Human Rights Consultative Committee. Here is an extended quote for the full statement as reported:
The Human Right Consultative Committee (HRCC) has also condemned the arrest of Rev Nyondo.
HRCC executive director Undule Mwakasungula said on Saturday, “Malawi was heading back to the one party dictatorial rule practiced during the MCP [Malawi Congress Party] regime.”
“History is repeating itself,” said Mwakasungula while pointing out the church had a social role to play in society and that the views of the Livingstonia Synod clergy were critical to addressing issues affecting people of the northern region.
He said “Malawi is a democratic country” and people with dissenting views with the government “should not be oppressed.”
“We cannot undermine the importance of the clergy in the consolidation of our democracy. The clergy were the pioneers of advocating for democracy and human rights in Malawi and they continue to take a leading role in safeguarding our hard won democracy,” said Mwakasungura.
“We at CHR would also like to remind the DPP led government to realize that the law should not be used to target those that do not share their views.”
The rights defenders added:”It is a pity that in this age the DPP led government just like the Malawi Congress Party and United Democratic Front before it used the treason and sedition charges to settle political scores with those deemed to be from the other political divide.
“It is even more disheartening and costly to tax payers to note that most if not all perceived treason and sedition cases either die a natural death or are still being dragged through the corridors of our justice system. Tax payers have been forced on numerous occasions to pay compensation to those that have been wrongly accused of treason and sedition.”
CHRR said the moves by Mutharika government of turning Malawi into a police state need to be checked now and for all.
“We do not want to find ourselves in the bottom pit that Zimbabwe has found herself in. It is high time that the DPP realize and learn to live with those that have different point of view and accommodate their view. It is possible to practice clean politics.”
CHRR pressed for the immediate and unconditional release of Rev Levi Nyondo.
Two notes from the polity wonk perspective: 1) It is interesting to see the HRCC make statements supportive of the role of the church in social issues. 2) I find it interesting that the views of who one or two leaders will support in an election four years away are taken so seriously. Normally under Presbyterian polity we acknowledge that individual leaders can speak for themselves but unless endorsed by their governing body they do not speak for the larger church.
This has a ways to go and is part of a larger disagreement. We will see where it goes. Stay tuned.
There is additional coverage by NewZimSituation.com, and AFP.